Monday, January 31, 2011

Here's a project I did for the Lettering Delights Creativity Challenge. This is something new that started in the LD website, and all the entries are posted in the idea gallery on their site. It ran from middle of January and the cut off date is today, and you were to use the calendar file (free download) and use at least one of the Lettering Delights product. It can be a card, a scrapbook page, or anything that you desire to make.

I chose their Balloon Craze SVGs (super cute) and their pennant SVGs. I decided to put each calendar month on the pennant, and have it strung with twine and held by clouds, balloon, rainbow and a mountain. It's a year calendar that can be hung on a corner wall! Super cute, I'd say!

To tell you the truth, I felt really horrible doing this, as I'm on the SVGCuts design team. I'm a very loyal person, and all I could think about was how Leo and Mary would take this. However, it's just a challenge, and I just wanted to try LD's files - see how they cut, see how everything is compared to SVGCuts SVGs. That seems fair, doesn't it?

My kids had a day off today, so spent the morning making Valentine sugar cookies. They had too much fun - and had way too much sugar in the end!

Thursday, January 27, 2011

To those who love to keep track of all the SVGCuts freebies all organized on one sheet, the newest one is now available! It's a great reference sheeet to have along with all your SVGCuts paid collection printed PDF files! If you would like to have a copy for yourself, please leave me a message below (with your e-mail) and will send it to you! (I apologize with the files not being in the correct order, but these are the 35 newest freebies!) If you haven't realized it yet, you will now see that there's tons of cute SVGs for free!!! Goto the SVGCuts blog, under "free SVG downloads" to get all of them.

Also, did you see the newest collection released today??? It's Cuddly Storybook Friends and it's super cute!!! AND it's the free gift of the week with purchase of $9.98 or more! How fun it would be to use them on cards or bags or make a little storybook for your little one! Possibilities, possibilities!!!

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Here's more of my Unity Stamps cards - this one from the Tree of Friendship stamp:

From the Love Bug collection:

more from the retro stamps:

Anyway, I am so excited to announce that I got a new camera this weekend! (Just in time for my vacation!) I've already taken some this weekend, and the images are crisp, smooth, clean and the colors are so natural. It's also one of those that I can blur the background as well to give depth to the photos and bring out my project. It really is worth it to invest in a good camera and lens - I can already see the difference! (none of the above are taken with this camera :)) I've been so frustrated with my camera for the past year, so I am ecstatic with my new toy! I have a lot to learn - the manual is huge! - but hope to oneday master my little toy :) Be on the lookout for better pics from me!

Thursday, January 20, 2011

I had a chance to acquire some (actually plenty!) of Unity Stamps from their website during the yearend sale, with a bonus stamp every $10 purchase, and free shipping! (The free shipping is still in effect until the end of January!) I've really only tried the acrylic stamps, just probably because it looks clean and doesn't take as much space. I guess it's a little cheaper as well... Anyway, then I came across this sale, and I just couldn't pass it up! It didn't matter what anyone said, I was getting it! Many of their popular lines were marked down at an unbelievably good deals, and only limited amounts.

I made some cards using these stamps last weekend, and I haven't got into the Copic or the coloring in the stamp thing yet, but I had some fun making them. I actually like the images clean and simple, so I may stay away from Copic (I don't need to make my wish list longer!). The stamps are awesome! good quality, packaging is pretty, and love how they all come as a collection, so it already gives you some inspiration as to what project you could create!

So, here it is:

This stamp is from "Going Retro" (oh, so cute! you've got to check out the whole set below!)

and used QuicKutz embossing folder and some Sizzix buttons.

How cute is that!
﻿﻿﻿ ﻿

﻿﻿﻿﻿I am also in the middle of planning out my vacation - Yay! it's coming up in about 2 1/2 weeks!!! It's very time consuming, but it's all fun! I am savouring every bit of it, and I totally feel like my vacation has already started! It looks like I'll be able to fit in all the attractions that we wanted to hit and plus there's extra days to walk around, shop and find places to eat yummy food! I know it falls on the President's Day weekend, so there must be sales!!!

Anyway, besides all that, I have some other exciting news! I get to meet two of my fellow SVGCuts fans while I'm out there! I'll be meeting Belinda Brown, whom I got to know quite well, and we're meeting in one of the Disney parks! Looks like our kids will get to go on some rides together and have lunch. The night before that, I'll be having some drinks with Xochitl Rico, who coincidentally was also staying in the same hotel, same night (we'll have our hubby stay in their rooms while we have fun!) So, looks like I've got lots of things to look forward to!!!

Oh, and by the way, have you had a chance to take a look at the newest collection from SVGCuts - the free file of the week with $9.98 purchase. This is beyond adorable - I think that we all need to get it!

Monday, January 17, 2011

I can't believe that I was thinking of making Valentine things from the day Christmas was over. At this rate, I now need to think about Easter, and then summer stuff, and when that's over Hallowe'en??? hahaha... Thinking ahead does make me more organized, and it does keep me going. I guess that's good :)

I am not a big Valentine color person - personally, I tend to stick to more neutral, earth tone colors, so to do pink and red together was a little challenging for me. However, I think that it turned out darn cute! and wanted to share with you all! The train is made up of boxes, so you can fill them up with candies, little stuffed animals, or whatever your heart desires to give it to your special someone!

I used two (only two!) collections to make this! They are:

For more detailed instruction on how to make this, please visit SVGCuts blog!

Sunday, January 16, 2011

My second attempt with Letterpress went so much better - including the clean up as I had the Letterpress cleaning cloths. (Don't attempt to clean up without it! and baby wipes don't do the trick!) I have learned to be patient with the ink - I rolled it with the brayer quite a few times until it was uniform and non-lumpy, and I was able to get a nice thin coat of ink onto the plates this way. I also attempted to do some layering with the plates, using different colors and I must say, I was quite a bit happier with my purchase this time!

My cards that I made were for my dad and my dad-in-law, whose birthday falls within two weeks of each other. Here it is - see! see!! Don't you think that I'm getting better???

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

As some of you guys know, I'm heading down to the States next month, and I thought that I would start my vacation early... That is, start online shopping. You wouldn't believe how many things I want are from US and only ships within US. Or, they would ship it here, but the shipping is double of what anyone living in US would pay, or I get tacked on a huge amount of duty/custom fees and won't be worth it to order it. So, if you live in US, consider yourself lucky!

Anyway, there are a few things that I've been eyeing, and I am proud to say that I ordered my first (hopefully of many!) and the biggest purchase (most likely) last night (picture below). (We're going to be staying with our relatives for portion of the time, so I'm getting it all sent there)

This toy is the Teresa Collins Stamp Maker. You can make your own photopolymer stamps at home! Basically, you design what you would like for a stamp, make that into negative-like image and then print your image onto the film provided through your inkjet. Then place the photopolymer packet and your image together, stick it in the UV light box for 3 minutes, wash the stamp, stick it back in the UV light box for 2 more minutes and it's done! With this, I'm planning to make "mod paperie" stamp, our address stamp, perhaps kids drawings into a stamp... and if I ever come across a sentiment or saying that I like, I can design my own and make it! How exciting is that! I will definitely make some and share with you my creations! Shown below is how clear and detailed you can get from this machine!

In the meantime, I started making some Valentine cards - here's two that is super easy (made from "from my heart" paper from SEI and Technique Tuesday stamp), but I think it's pretty!

Monday, January 10, 2011

I tried the Letterpress kit yesterday. It was just so exciting to open up a box with a brand new tool! In the box comes with a Letterpress mat, positioning foam stickers, double-sided adhesive to mount your plates, ink, brayer (a roller you use to evenly put on the ink on the plate), and some sample letterpress plates.

I took some pics so you can get the idea of how this is done:

You decide where you want the paper on the mat and hold it there with the repositionable foam adhesives.

You decide what plates you want letterpressed on your paper, and adhere them with the double sided sticker to the mat facing the paper (mirror image). Apply ink on the letterpress plate using the brayer. This ink was so thick, it was like touching a tar. It's sticky, and it's impossible to wash it off! I had ink all over my hands and could not get them off with soap and water. (Then, after some researching, vegetable oil did the trick and thankfully, it came off! Letterpress has some wipes that is supposed to be awesome for clean-up, so I ordered that right away after this!)

My first attempt... I think that there was too much ink...

After few tries, better... but could be a whole lot better... I think that I'll wait for the wipes to arrive before I attempt it again! Not too bad, though, I think for the first time! I put some rhinestones on them and it became pretty!!!

I have also something exciting - my fellow SVGCuts designer friend, Tamara (Happy Wife, Crafty Life), has designed for me a new blog linky! I love how she took half of my flower ball, and used the colors from the flowers for the words. What an improvement! Thank you so much! And, if you haven't been to her blog yet, make sure that you do - 'cause you're going to be blown away by how talented she is!

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Earlier this week, I just finished my next SVGCuts project, and all I'm waiting for are the Valentine candies to hit in the stores so I can take pics of them. Can't wait to share it with you!!!

Then, I started another SVGCuts project and that's rolling along as well...

Yesterday, I did a quick card with the SVGCuts Freebie from last week - Valentine Truffles. They are so cute, makes me want to eat them! I used Swiss Dots embossing on the background, and used stickles for the sprinkles. The stamp was from Technique Tuesday.

Then I got a toy before Christmas, a Lifestyle Crafts Letterpress kit, and I think that I finally going to break the box open and try it today! I ordered more printing plates, so should be arriving in the mail soon!

Amazing cutter.

Fun digital/cutting files!

Miss Tiina.

My Grafico.

Just a little bit 'bout me.

Well... HELLO! Thank you for stopping by!
I reside in Calgary, AB (Canada) with 3 kids (10, 6 and 4)and a hubby. They keep me busy), REALLY BUSY! But, if I'm lucky - I do sneak away and get some crafting time in! Otherwise, my paper magic happens during the night :)
Feel free to leave me your love here, and feel welcome to use any of my original ideas for your personal use. All I ask is that you give credit appropriately and that you don't copy or re-create any of the artwork posted on here for submissions to contests, publications or for profit. Please link to this blog for any projects/ideas inspired by me. I hope to get to know all of you, and inspire many creative people out there.
Thanks:)